This study examined incoming male college students’ proclivity to perpetrate sexual assault at a large public university in the Northeast (n = 1,619). Overall, self-reported proclivity to perpetrate was low (between 20–26%). Students’ perception that a peer would intervene as a bystander was negatively associated with proclivity, while acceptance of certain rape myths was positively associated with proclivity. Students who intended to join a fraternity and White students had increased proclivity to perpetrate using force or incapacitation. Based on these findings, recommendations for sexual assault prevention efforts are included.
AbbeyA. (2005). Lessons learned from unanswered questions about sexual assault perpetration. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 20(1), 39–42.
2.
AbbeyA.McAuslanP. (2004). A longitudinal examination of male college students’ perpetration of sexual assault. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 72(5), 747–756.
3.
AbbeyA.WegnerR.WoernerJ.PegramS.PierceJ. (2014). Review of survey and experimental research that examines the relationship between alcohol consumption and men’s sexual aggression perpetration. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 15(4), 265–282.
4.
AbramsD.VikiG.MasserB.BohnerG. (2003). Perceptions of stranger and acquaintance rape: The role of benevolent and hostile sexism in victim blame and rape proclivity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(1), 111–125.
5.
AlleyneE.GannonT.CiardhaC.WoodJ. (2014). Community males show multiple-perpetrator rape proclivity: Development and preliminary validation of an interest scale. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 26(1), 82–104.
6.
AndersonR. E.SilverK. E.CiampagliaA. M.VitaleA. M.DelahantyD. L. (2019). The frequency of sexual perpetration in college men: A systematic review of reported prevalence rates from 2000 to 2017. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838019860619
7.
AstinA. (1997). What matters in college? Four critical years revisited. Jossey-Bass.
8.
BanyardV. L. (2014). Improving college campus–based prevention of violence against women a strategic plan for research built on multipronged practices and policies. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 15(4), 339–351.
9.
BanyardV. L.PlanteE. G.MoynihanM. M. (2004). Bystander education: Bringing a broader community perspective to sexual violence prevention. Journal of Community Psychology, 32(1), 61–79.
10.
BerkowitzA. D. (2003). Applications of social norms theory to other health and social justice issues. In PerkinsH.W. (Ed.), The social norms approach to preventing school and college age substance abuse: A handbook for educators, counselors, and clinicians (pp. 259–279). Jossey-Bass.
BerkowitzA. D. (2005). An overview of the social norms approach. In LedermanL. C.StewartL. P. (Eds.), Changing the culture of college drinking (pp. 193–214). Hampton Press.
13.
BoeringerS. B.ShehanC. L.AkersR. L. (1991). Social contexts and social learning in sexual coercion and aggression: Assessing the contribution of fraternity membership. Family Relations, 40, 58–64.
14.
BohnerG.JarvisC. I.EysselF.SieblerF. (2005). The causal impact of rape myth acceptance on men’s rape proclivity: Comparing sexually coercive and noncoercive men. European Journal of Social Psychology, 35(6), 819–828.
15.
BohnerG.PinaA.Tendayi VikiG.SieblerF. (2010). Using social norms to reduce men’s rape proclivity: Perceived rape myth acceptance of out-groups may be more influential than that of in-groups. Psychology, Crime & Law, 16(8), 671–693.
16.
BohnerG.ReinhardM.RutzS.SurmS.KerschbaumB.EfflerD. (1998). Rape myths as neutralizing cognitions: Evidence for a causal impact of anti-victim attitudes on men’s self-reported likelihood of raping. European Journal of Social Psychology, 28(2), 257–268.
17.
BohnerG.SieblerF.SchmelcherJ. (2006). Social norms and the likelihood of raping: Perceived rape myth acceptance of others affects men’s rape proclivity. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32(3), 286–297.
18.
BorsariB.HustadJ. T.CaponeC. (2009). Alcohol use in the Greek system, 1999–2009: A decade of progress. Current Drug Abuse Reviews, 2(3), 216–255.
19.
BrecklinL. R.FordeD. R. (2001). A meta-analysis of rape education programs. Violence and Victims, 16(3), 303–321.
20.
BronfenbrennerU. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. President and Fellows of Harvard College.
21.
BrownA. L.BanyardV. L.MoynihanM. M. (2014). College students as helpful bystanders against sexual violence: Gender, race, and year in college moderate the impact of perceived peer norms. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 38(3), 350–362.
22.
BrownA. L.Messman-MooreT. L. (2010). Personal and perceived peer attitudes supporting sexual aggression as predictors of male college students’ willingness to intervene against sexual aggression. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 25(3), 503–517.
23.
BrownT. A. (2006). Confirmatory factor analysis for applied research. Guilford Press.
24.
CantorD.FisherB.ChiballS.TownsendR.LeeH.BruceC.ThomasG. (2015). Report on the AAU Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual misconduct. Westat.
25.
CarrJ. L.VanDeusenK. M. (2004). Risk factors for male sexual aggression on college campuses. Journal of Family Violence, 19(5), 279–289.
26.
CaseyE. A. (2010). Strategies for engaging men as anti-violence allies: Implications for ally movements. Advances in Social Work, 11(2), 267–282.
27.
CaseyE. A.LindhorstT. P. (2009). Toward a multi-level, ecological approach to the primary prevention of sexual assault prevention in peer and community contexts. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 10(2), 91–114.
28.
DahlbergL.KrugE. (2002). Violence: A global public health problem. In KrugE.DahlbergL.MercyJ.ZwiA.LozanoR. (Eds.), World report on violence and health (pp. 1–56). World Health Organization.
29.
DardisC. M.MurphyM. J.BillA. C.GidyczC. A. (2016). An investigation of the tenets of social norms theory as they relate to sexually aggressive attitudes and sexual assault perpetration: A comparison of men and their friends. Psychology of Violence, 6(1), 163–171.
30.
DeGueS.DiLilloD. (2004). Understanding perpetrators of nonphysical sexual coercion: Characteristics of those who cross the line. Violence and Victims, 19(6), 673–688.
31.
DeGueS.DiLilloD.ScaloraM. (2010). Are all perpetrators alike? Comparing risk factors for sexual coercion and aggression. Sexual Abuse, 22(4), 402–426.
32.
DemaréD.LipsH.BriereJ. (1993). Sexually violent pornography, anti-women attitudes, and sexual aggression: A structural equation model. Journal of Research in Personality, 27, 285–300.
33.
DonnerC.JenningsW.BanfieldJ. (2014). The general nature of online and off-line offending among college students. Social Science Computer Review, 33, 663–679.
34.
FabianoP. M.PerkinsH. W.BerkowitzA.LinkenbachJ.StarkC. (2003). Engaging men as social justice allies in ending violence against women: Evidence for a social norms approach. Journal of American College Health, 52(3), 105–112.
FisherB.CullenF.TurnerM. (2000). The sexual victimization of college women. U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics.
37.
FloodM.PeaseB. (2009). Factors influencing attitudes to violence against women. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 10(2), 125–142.
38.
FoubertJ. D.Clark-TaylorA.WallA. F. (2020). Is campus rape primarily a serial or one-time problem? Evidence from a multicampus study. Violence Against Women, 26, 296–311. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801219833820
39.
FoubertJ. D.NewberryJ. T. (2006). Effects of two versions of an empathy-based rape prevention program on fraternity men’s survivor empathy, attitudes and behavioral intent to commit rape or sexual assault. Journal of College Student Development, 47(2), 133–148.
40.
FoubertJ. D.NewberryJ. T.TatumJ. L. (2007). Behavior differences seven months later: Effects of a rape prevention program. NASPA Journal, 44(4), 728–749.
41.
GidyczC. A.OrchowskiL. M.BerkowitzA. D. (2011). Preventing sexual aggression among college men: An evaluation of a social norms and bystander intervention program. Violence Against Women, 17(6), 720–742.
42.
GidyczC. A.WarkentinJ. B.OrchowskiL. M.EdwardsK. M. (2011). College men’s perceived likelihood to perpetrate sexual aggression. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 20(3), 260–279
43.
GrahamS.TaylorA. Z.HoA. Y. (2009). Race and ethnicity in peer relations research. In RubinK.H.BukowskiW.M.LaursenB. (Eds.), Handbook of peer interactions, relationships, and groups (pp. 394–413). The Guilford Press.
44.
GreeneW. H. (1997). Econometric analysis. Prentice-Hall.
JewkesR.FloodM.LangJ. (2015). From work with men and boys to changes of social norms and reduction of inequities in gender relations: A conceptual shift in prevention of violence against women and girls. Lancet, 385(9977), 1580–1589.
47.
JourilesE. N.KraussA.VuN. L.BanyardV. L.McDonaldR. (2018). Bystander programs addressing sexual violence on college campuses: A systematic review and meta-analysis of program outcomes and delivery methods. Journal of American College Health, 66(6), 457–466.
48.
KalofL.WadeB. H. (1995). Sexual attitudes and experiences with sexual coercion: Exploring the influence of race and gender. Journal of Black Psychology, 21, 224–238. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095798495021300
49.
KangS. K.NdukweN.FassnachtD. (2016). The relationship between men’s early maladaptive schemas, rape myth acceptance and self-reported likelihood of using force and raping. Journal of Psychology & Clinical Psychiatry, 6(6), 00382.
50.
KatzJ.MerrileesC.HoxmeierJ. C.MotisiM. (2017). White female bystanders’ responses to a black woman at risk for incapacitated sexual assault. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 41(2), 273–285.
51.
KatzJ.MooreJ. (2013). Bystander education training for campus sexual assault prevention: An initial meta-analysis. Violence and Victims, 28(6), 1054–1067.
52.
KettreyH. H.MarxR. A.Tanner-SmithE. E. (2019). Effects of bystander programs on the prevention of sexual assault among adolescents and college students: A systematic review. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 15, Article e1013. https://doi.org/10.4073/csr.2019.1
53.
KilpatrickD.ResnickH.RuggieroK.ConoscentiL.McCauleyJ. (2007). Drug-facilitated, incapacitated and forcible rape: A national study. U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
54.
KossM. P.GidyczC. A.WisniewskiN. (1987). The scope of rape: Incidence and prevalence of sexual aggression and victimization in a national sample of higher education students. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55(2), 162–170.
KrebsC.LindquistC.WarnerT.FisherB.MartinS. (2007). The campus sexual assault study. U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
57.
KwakD.HoltkampP.KimS. (2019). Measuring and controlling social desirability bias: Applications in information systems research. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 20(4), 317–345.
58.
LanghaugL. F.SherrL.CowanF. M. (2010). How to improve the validity of sexual behaviour reporting: Systematic review of questionnaire delivery modes in developing countries. Tropical Medicine & International Health, 15(3), 362–381.
59.
LiC. (2013). Little’s test of missing completely at random. The Stata Journal, 13(4), 795–809.
60.
LisakD.ConklinA.HopperJ.MillerP.AltschulerL.SmithB. (2000). The Abuse-Perpetration Inventory: Development of an assessment instrument for research on the cycle of violence. Family Violence and Sexual Assault Bulletin, 16, 21–30.
61.
LisakD.MillerP. (2002). Repeat rape and multiple offending among undetected rapists. Violence and Victims, 17(1), 73–84.
62.
LohC.GidyczC. A.LoboT. R.LuthraR. (2005). A prospective analysis of sexual assault perpetration: Risk factors related to perpetrator characteristics. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 20(10), 1325–1348.
63.
LonswayK. A.FitzgeraldL. F. (1994). Rape myths in review. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 18(2), 133–164.
64.
MalamuthN. (1981). Rape proclivity among males. Journal of Social Issues, 37, 138–157.
65.
MalamuthN. (1986). Predictors of naturalistic sexual aggression. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 50(5), 953–962.
66.
MalamuthN. (1989). The Attraction to Sexual Aggression Scale: Part one. Journal of Sex Research, 26(1), 26–49.
67.
MalamuthN. M.HaberS.FeshbachS. (1980). Testing hypotheses regarding rape: Exposure to sexual violence, sex differences, and the “normality” of rapists. Journal of Research in Personality, 14(1), 121–137.
68.
McCrayK. (2015). Intercollegiate athletes and sexual violence: A review of literature and recommendations for future study. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 16(4), 438–443.
69.
McMahonS. (2010). Rape myth beliefs and bystander attitudes among incoming college students. Journal of American College Health, 59(1), 1–11.
70.
McMahonS.AllenC. T.PostmusJ. L.McMahonS. M.PetersonN. A.HoffmanM. L. (2014). Measuring bystander attitudes and behavior to prevent sexual violence. Journal of American College Health, 62(1), 58–66.
71.
McMahonS.FarmerG. (2011). An updated measure for assessing subtle rape myths. Social Work Research, 35(2), 71–81.
72.
McMahonS.WinterS. C.PalmerJ.PostmusJ. L.PetersonN. A.ZuckerS. R.KoenickR. A. (2015). A randomized controlled trial of a multi-dose bystander intervention program using peer education theater. Health Education Research, 30(4), 554–568.
73.
McMahonS.WoodL.CusanoJ.MacriL. (2019). Campus sexual assault: Future directions for research. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 31, 270–295.
74.
McQuiller WilliamsL.PorterJ. L.SmithT. R. (2016). Understanding date rape attitudes and behaviors: Exploring the influence of race, gender, and prior sexual victimization. Victims & Offenders, 11(2), 173–198.
75.
MouzonL. D.BattleA.ClarkK. P.ColemanS.OgletreeR. J. (2005). African-American college students perceptions of sexual coercion. The Health Educator, 37(1), 16–21.
76.
MuehlenhardC. L.PetersonZ. D.HumphreysT. P.JozkowskiK. N. (2017). Evaluating the one-in-five statistic: Women’s risk of sexual assault while in college. Journal of Sex Research, 54(4–5), 549–576.
77.
MurnenS. K.KohlmanM. H. (2007). Athletic participation, fraternity membership, and sexual aggression among college men: A meta-analytic review. Sex Roles, 57(1/2), 145–157.
78.
MurnenS. K.WrightC.KaluznyG. (2002). If “boys will be boys,” then girls will be victims? A meta-analytic review of the research that relates masculine ideology to sexual aggression. Sex Roles, 46(11–12), 359–375.
79.
NagelB.MatsuoH.McIntyreK. P.MorrisonN. (2005). Attitudes toward victims of rape: Effects of gender, race, religion, and social class. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 20, 725–737.
80.
PalmerJ. E.PerrottiC. (2016). Measuring self-reported sexual victimization experiences at one university: A comparison of methods. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 53(4), 403–415.
PayneD. L.LonswayK. A.FitzgeraldL. F. (1999). Rape myth acceptance: Exploration of its structure and its measurement using the Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale. Journal of Research in Personality, 33(1), 27–68.
83.
PerkinsH.BerkowitzA. (1986). Perceiving the community norms of alcohol use among students: Some research implications for campus alcohol education programming. International Journal of the Addictions, 21, 961–976.
84.
PerkinsH. W. (2003). The social norms approach to preventing school and college age substance abuse: A handbook for educators, counselors, and clinicians. Jossey-Bass.
85.
PotterS. J. (2012). Using a multimedia social marketing campaign to increase active bystander on the college campus. Journal of American College Health, 60(4), 282–295.
86.
ReynoldsW. (1982). Development of reliable and valid short forms of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 38(1), 119–125.
87.
SabinaC.HoL. (2014). Campus and college victim responses to sexual assault and dating violence: Disclosure, service utilization and service provision. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 15(3), 201–226.
88.
SalazaarL.SwartoutK. M.SwahnM. H.BellisA. L.CarneyJ.VaginK. J.LokeyC. (2018). Precollege sexual violence perpetration and associated risk and protective factors among male college freshmen in Georgia. Journal of Adolescent Health, 62(3), 51–57.
89.
SandayP. (1996). Rape-prone versus rape-free campus cultures. Violence Against Women, 2(2), 191–208.
90.
SawyerR. G.ThompsonE. E.ChicorelliA. M. (2002). Rape myth acceptance among intercollegiate student athletes: A preliminary examination. American Journal of Health Studies, 18(1), 19–25.
91.
SchwartzM. D.DeKeseredyW. S. (1997). Sexual assault on the college campus: The role of male peer support. Sage.
92.
SchwartzM. D.DeKeseredyW. S. (2008). Interpersonal violence against women: The role of men. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 24(2), 178–185.
93.
SchwartzM. D.DeKeseredyW. S.TaitD.AlviS. (2001). Male peer support and a feminist routing activities theory: Understanding sexual assault on the college campus. Justice Quarterly, 18(3), 623–649.
94.
SchwartzM. D.NogradyC. A. (1996). Fraternity membership, rape myths, and sexual aggression on a college campus. Violence Against Women, 2(2), 148–162.
95.
SeabrookR.McMahonS.O’ConnorJ. (2018). A longitudinal study of interest and membership in a fraternity, rape myths acceptance, and proclivity to perpetrate sexual assault. Journal of American College Health, 66(6), 510–518.
96.
StorerH.CaseyE.HerrenkohlT. (2016). Efficacy of bystander programs to prevent dating abuse among youth and young adults: A review of the literature. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 17(3), 256–269.
97.
SutherlandJ. L.AmarA.SutherlandM. A. (2014). Victimization and perpetration of sexual violence in college-aged men and women. Journal of Forensic Nursing, 10(3), 153–159.
98.
SwartoutK.KossM.WhiteJ.ThompsonM.AbbeyA.BellisA. (2015). Trajectory analysis of the campus serial rapist assumption. JAMA Pediatrics, 169, 1148–1154.
99.
TharpA. T.DeGueS.ValleL. A.BrookmeyerK. A.MassettiG. M.MatjaskoJ. L. (2012). A systematic qualitative review of risk and protective factors for sexual violence perpetration. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 14(2), 133–167.
100.
ThompsonM. (2014). Risk and protective factors for sexual aggression and dating violence: Common themes. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 15(4), 304–309.
101.
ThompsonM.SwartoutK.KossM. (2013). Trajectories and predictors of sexually aggressive behaviors during emerging adulthood. Psychology of Violence, 3(3), 247–259.
102.
VladutiuC.MartinS.MacyR. (2011). College- or university-based sexual assault prevention programs: A review of program outcomes, characteristics and recommendations. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 12(2), 67–86.
WhiteJ. W.SmithP. H. (2004). Sexual assault perpetration and re-perpetration: From adolescence to young adulthood. Journal of Criminal Justice and Behavior, 31, 182–202.
105.
YappE. J.QuayleE. (2018). A systematic review of the association between rape myth acceptance and male-on-female sexual violence. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 41, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2018.05.002
106.
YoungB. R.DesmaraisS. L.BaldwinJ. A.ChandlerR. (2017). Sexual coercion practices among undergraduate male recreational athletes, intercollegiate athletes, and non-athletes. Violence Against Women, 23(7), 795–812.
107.
ZinzowH.ThompsonM. (2015). A longitudinal study of risk factors for repeated sexual coercion and assault in U.S. college men. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 44(1), 213–222.
